


Performance Issues

by bbcphile



Series: Much Ado About Shakespeare [2]
Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: M/M, Making Out, Poetry Recitations, Shore Leave, Yet more Shakespeare, constructive criticism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 01:05:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7554256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbcphile/pseuds/bbcphile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A year has passed since Archie and Horatio confessed their feelings, but Horatio feels guilty about the manner in which they got together. How will he make it up to Archie for Archie's birthday?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Performance Issues

**Author's Note:**

  * For [athenasdragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/athenasdragon/gifts).



> Written as a minific for a Tumblr ask meme requested by athenasdragon. Thanks for the prompt!

Horatio paused outside the door to their rented room at the Elephant Inn. He forced his treacherous hands to still their trembling. He had prepared for this moment for weeks, meticulously rehearsing his words and his actions. There was nothing to fear: Archie would understand his inexperience.

He opened the door and stepped inside. There, on the bed, sat Archie, his hair glinting in the candlelight, his back against the wall and stockinged feet on the bed. He was lost to the world, a book propped against his knees, and a small smile playing on his lips. The sight nearly took Horatio’s breath away. He wondered yet again that fortune had been so generous as to grant him this wondrous man as his dearest friend and lover. He only wished he were worthy of Archie’s affection. And tonight, he would show Archie the depth of his regard, in language Archie would understand.

He shut and locked the door behind him, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over the keyhole to block any eyes that might try to pry. At the sound, Archie looked up, startled from his private thoughts, then smiled as his eyes met Horatio’s. He stood up, book forgotten, to meet Horatio, and threw his arms around him with enough force to push him against the door. He captured his mouth with a deep kiss.

“Took you long enough. I thought you were lost to the charms of high society forever,” Archie purred once he had finished plundering Horatio’s mouth.

“Hardly. The party was interminable,” Horatio said, slightly out of breath.

“Well, if it was that horrid, I suppose that’s punishment enough for almost missing my birthday. But I can think of some ways to occupy our time now that you’ve returned,” Archie said with a lascivious grin Horatio knew was calculated to land them in bed with Archie on his back in record time.

But Horatio was not to be so easily dissuaded from his plan.

“And I look forward to seeing what activities you've dreamed up in my absence. But first, I have a present for you.”

Archie grinned and leaned in again, pressing his body up against Horatio’s. “I’m enjoying this present quite a lot,” he whispered in Horatio’s ear. “Can it wait?”

“No, it can’t,” Horatio said with a fond smile.

Archie rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance. “Very well,” he responded, sitting back down on the bed. “What’s so important?”

Horatio cleared his throat. He squared his shoulders, widened his stance, and clasped his wrist in his hand behind his back. If he adopted his posture from the deck, then perhaps he could get through this.

Archie raised his eyebrows. “Horatio? Should I be concerned?”

Horatio chuckled and shook his head. “I hope not.” He took a deep breath and began again. “A little over a year ago, I unwittingly caused you distress when I demanded that you read a particular sonnet to me out loud. While I am . . .” He cast about for a word that would even approximate the full extent of his emotions. “ . . . pleased by the conclusion of that exchange, I fear my actions, while well-intentioned, were unkind and selfish. Please allow me to make it up to you.”

Archie’s cheeks were tinged with red--as they often were when Horatio reminded him of the awkward start of their relationship--but he held Horatio’s gaze. “H’ratio,” he said softly, “there is no debt to be repaid. There never will be between us. You know that.”

“Nevertheless, I want to do this.”

Archie gave him a lopsided smile, then dipped his head in acknowledgement. “If you insist.”

Horatio cleared his throat again, closed his eyes, and began:

      Those lines that I before have writ do lie,  
      Even those that said I could not love you dearer;  
      Yet then my judgment knew no reason why  
      My most full flame should afterwards burn clearer.  
      But reckoning Time, whose million'd accidents  
      Creep in 'twixt vows and change decrees of kings,  
      Tan sacred beauty, blunt the sharp'st intents,  
      Divert strong minds to the course of altering things;  
      Alas, why, fearing of Time's tyranny,  
      Might I not then say 'Now I love you best,'  
      When I was certain o'er incertainty,  
      Crowning the present, doubting of the rest?  
           Love is a babe; then might I not say so,  
           To give full growth to that which still doth grow?

He opened his eyes, eager to see how his performance had been received. Archie was gazing at him, his eyes moist and blinking rapidly, his lips curved into a thoughtful smile, and his head tipped to the side in contemplation. Archie held out his hand to Horatio, and when Horatio had clasped it, slowly pulled him to sit by his side on the bed. He embraced Horatio once more, more tightly this time, and kissed him gently on the side of his neck, before resting his chin on Horatio’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” Archie whispered, “for the most thoughtful, generous present imaginable. Especially given your feelings on reciting poetry.” He continued his ministrations to Horatio’s neck, before starting to untie his stock.

Horatio responded by running his hands up and down Archie’s back. “It was the least I could do.” Archie shifted to straddle him. A sudden thought made Horatio pause. “How was my performance?”

Archie froze, mid-kiss. “What?”

Horatio pulled back to see Archie’s expression better. “How was my recitation?”

Archie’s tongue darted out to lick his lip and his eyelids fluttered briefly. “It was fine, H’ratio. A truly wonderful present.” He leaned back in to kiss Horatio again.

The worry continued to niggle away in Horatio’s mind. “Archie, what is it?”

Archie rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing, H’ratio. You chose an excellent sonnet, and I am touched that you read it for me.”

“But something’s bothering you.”

Archie sighed and sat back on his heels. “There were just . . . a few small things that could have used a little improvement. But it was still a lovely gift.”

“Oh,” Horatio said, his face falling. “Such as?”

Archie shook his head. “H’ratio, you tread the boards of a frigate, not a stage. You don’t need notes.”

“But I’d still prefer to know.”

Archie inhaled and held his breath. He bit his lip as he wrestled with himself. Finally, he sighed, scratched the back of his neck, and began.

“In general, when reciting poetry, one tries to preserve the meter of the poem; iambic pentameter has a very different feel from prose.”

“I see.”

“Otherwise, we can’t hear when the meter changes. ‘Crowning’ should have started with a trochee rather than an iamb.”

“Ah.”

“Oh, and don’t pause so much at the end of lines without punctuation.”

“Right.”

“And, of course, the timing for the final couplet was all wrong: it needs to be set apart from that came before.”

Horatio watched as Archie continued providing his detailed feedback. Archie looked like he was having the time of his life: he was leaning forward slightly, animatedly gesturing to emphasize his points, and grinning like a madman. He’d expected to be nursing his wounded pride as soon as he realized Archie had found fault with his performance, but seeing Archie so happy, so in his element, well, he’d gladly repeat his failings a hundred fold. He blinked in surprise with the sudden realization: he had spent most of his life trying to hide errors from others at all costs, and yet here he was, happily watching Archie airing them. It seemed the Bard was right: despite all odds, their love had yet “To give full growth to that which still doth grow.”


End file.
